Injuries sustained in West Virginia car crashes are as different as the circumstances of each accident, but certain ones are more common than others. The severity can range significantly and depends on many factors. Following are five of the most common injury types that result from car accidents.
Soft tissue injuries
Soft tissue injuries damage the body’s ligaments, muscles and tendons, usually due to sudden, whiplash movements that stretch head and neck muscles in a car crash. While whiplash is the most common car accident injury, victims can also suffer mid-and low-back muscle sprains or more severe spinal injuries from the force of impact.
Cuts, scrapes and burns
You might be thrown around inside the car during an accident, and get cuts or scrapes from broken glass, metal edges, or loose, flying objects like cell phones. Cuts and scrapes can be deep and severe, and infection is a real risk.
Hot steam or liquids from a car engine, or gasoline, can scald you or catch fire and cause burns. Victims may need several skin grafts to recover, and burn injuries can have lifelong consequences.
Internal injuries
Contemporary auto safety systems protect you in a collision, but many occupants sustain hidden internal injuries. While internal bleeding or organ damage may not be visible, it can become life-threatening quickly. Signs or symptoms might not appear until your condition is serious and needs urgent medical care.
Head injuries
Car accidents are among the three most common causes of traumatic brain injuries. Head or brain injuries occur when someone’s head hits a window or the steering wheel and range on a scale from mild to very serious. Head injuries with no open wound are often concussions, but harder impacts can cause severe brain damage.
Broken bones
Another common injury in car collisions is broken bones or fractures. Arms, legs, ribs, the spine and other bones can break under impact with a dashboard due to colliding with another vehicle or being thrown from a car. Breaks and fractures can cause long-term nerve damage, mobility problems and chronic pain.
Injuries from a car crash run the gamut from superficial scrapes to severe or life-threatening injuries with permanent damage. The type and severity depend on the nature of the accident. Not all injuries are apparent immediately, and some do not become symptomatic for days, weeks, or months afterward.
